Liquid-dispensing machine



C. 0. McCASLAND.

LIQUID DISPENSING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED ocT. xo. 1919.

Patented July 20, 1920.

2 SHEElS-SHEEI l.

. 3 M a 24v MNHN HNL C. O. McCASLAND.

LIQUID DISPENSING MACHINE. APPucAuou man oc. lo. 1919.

Patented July 20, 1920.

2 SHEElS-SHEEI 2.

CHARLES MOULE-LAND, OF ST.'LOUIS, MISSOURI.

LIQUID-Drsrmvsme maenner.

A Spe'clileation of Letters Patent. Patented J ully 2 0, 1.920.

Application led October 10, 1919. Serial No. 329,874.

. To all whom z'tmay concern:

Be it known 'that I, CHARLES O. MoCAsplaced in convenient positions along a road- Way for dispensing gasolene, oil, and the like, and which Inay be operated by the purchaser of gasolene upon the deposit in said machine of a prescribed amount of money per gallon; a further object of my invention is to dispense with the service of.

a regular attendant and have the machine free to be operated to kdispense gas and the like at all hours of the day and night.

A furtherobject of my invention is to provide a machine of this character containing two or more measuring tanks, each provided with a coin controlled mechanism and each provided withan outletvalve and a supply conduit and means to operate said conduit and valve substantially simultaneously whereby the valve is closed while a tank is being filled and whereby the supply tothe tank is cut off when the valve is open; and with these and other objects in view my invention consists of the parts and "combination of parts as willbe hereinafter specified.

In Athe drawings:

The reference numeral 1 designates a pump of any suitable construction having an outlet pipe 2 and a rack bar 3, the pipe havling its discharge end 4 positioned within a housing 5 of suitable construction and preferably closed on all sides.

In the housing 5 I locate a plurality of measuring tanks 6, 7 which have outlet or discharge pipes 8, 9 which empty into a common discharge pipe 10 to which the usual flexible dispensmg hose 11 is connected,

through which gasolene, oil and the like is delivered to atank in an automobile or motor d vehicle.

The pump 1 is, of course, connected withl .the liquid from LAND, a citizen of the United States, residing 4counterweighted, so that spout 4 of the pump, so thatif the flow of the pump'discharge 4 is not interrupted the liquid will be returned to the underground tank through the return pipe 13 as will be understood from the draw- The measuring tanks 6, 7, are each provided with an overiow pipe 15, each provided With an extensible member 17, whereby the weight, or quantity of liquid in said tank may be controlled so that a predetermined amount from said tanks for a predetermined price. The over flow pipes 15, 16 are connected at their lower ends to the return pi cl3, and are provided, near the pipe 13 witha float chamber 19, having a by-pass 20 in open communication with the return pipe 13 to slowly drain said float channels. A float 21 is positioned in the iioat chamber 19 to which is secured one end of a cable 22, which passes over suitable sheaves 23. The other end of the cable 22 is secured to one end of a pawl,

of liquid may be delivered 24 which pawl is suitably pivoted and is adapted to engage the rack bar 3. The pawl, is, as will be seen from the drawing,

normally it remains out of engagement with the rack bar, but adapted to' be moved into engagement with the rack bar when the float 21 is elevated by liquid in the chamber 19 whereby further upward movement of the rack bar is prevented and consequently the action of the pump is arrested.

The imitation of the amount of liquid the customer gets does not depend upon the operation of the dog 24 by the float 21, but rather upon the fact that the measuresiwill overflow faster than the liquid can be pumped whenever they are ull to the top of the adjustable overliow pipe. In fact the dog 24-may be dispensed with and any suitable signal employed to notify the customer that he` has pumped as much as he can get for his coin.

Each of the measuring tanks, 6, 7 'is pro' vided with a 'suitable outlet valve or other means adapted to close the outlet of the tanks, that shown 25 having a sleeve 26 in which is suitabl mounted a coiled or other spring 27 to whlch the lower end of the pitman rod 28 is secured, the upper end of the pitman rod being pivotally secured to a'lever 29which is pivoted at 30, the free end of the lever 29 being deflected downward at an angle to the rest of the lever to which is suitable secured (preferably pivotally) the 37 is apawl or dog coperating with saidk ratchet wheel -toprevent the crank from being turned but in one direction.

To prevent the unauthorized operation df the device I provide a coin, or othery lock mechanism which controls the revolution oi the crank handle 35, and the operation of its lassociated parts. For one tank l provide a coin lock which may be operated upon the insertion of a prescribed token, say a 25 cent piece, and on the other tanks I provide coin locks which may be operated upon the insertionv of coins or tokens of dierent value, all of which will be understood by those skilled in the art. l do not illustrate any details of the coin lock, or its locking engagement with the shaft 34, because any of the well known coin mechanisms may be employed-by the skilled mechanic.

To limit the initial or setting movement of the crank and its associated parts, l provide a stop 38 pivotally mounted at one end and adapted to be positioned, normally, by the parts to be hereinafter described, in the path of the rod 32, or if desired in the path of the crank 33, so that the crank handle 35 may be revolved but one halfof its revolution. These parts are the pawl 38 to which is secured one end of a cable or chain 39, the other end of the cable 39sbeing secured to one end of the arm or lever 40, pivoted at 41. A cable is secured to the other end of the lever 40 to which cord or cable 42 a oat 43 is connected', said ioat being positioned in the measurin tankv. It will be understood that while have described thevarious parts of the mechanism as being in they tank -that a duplicate of these mecha- ...when the measuring `tank iS full 0f liquid the float 43 rises thereby lowering the pawl 38 and permitting the crank handle 35 to complete its full revolution. The parts are positioned within the housing 5, with the exception of the crank handle 35, the pump and part of the supply pipe 2.

The spouts, or conduits 3 1, of all of the measuring tanks are tobe arranged to inf l.

tercept the iow of liquid from one single spp'ly pi e discharge 4; for example, when ya twenty ve cent piece is inserted in a lock,

the spout for the twenty five cent measurin tank is positioned to intercept the flow o liquid from the pump and direct it into the twenty five cent tank, and when a fifty cent piece is inserted in a lock the 'spout for the fty cent tank is positioned to direct the flow of liquid in that tank. But unless Some spout intercepts the iow of liquid from the discharge 4 of the pump, the liquid will. return through the pipe 13 into the underground tan 12. y

Upon the deposit of a coin of prescribed value in one of the locks the associated crank handle 35 becomes tree to be revolved and is stopped at one half revolution b the pawl 38. This movement of the cra pulls the rod 32 downward, which movement is communicated to the lever 29 which in turn under the discharge 4 of the pump.

When the lever 29 is thus moved it pulls on the cable 45 mounted on thesheaves 46, thereby releasing the counter-weighted dog 47 from its normal engagement with the rack bar 3 of the pump, whereupon the pump is free to be operated in the usual manner and discharge the liquid fromthe discharge spout 4 from which it passes into the spout or conduit 31, and thence into the measuring tank 6, but as soon as the liquid reaches the top of the overflow pipe 17 it spills into said pipe and iows to the ioat chamber 19, thereby operating the float 21 which relieves the tension on the cable 22 and permits the dog 24 to drop into engagement with the rack bar of the pump, there- -by preventingany further pumping action.

At this stage of the operation the oat 43 has ascended, thereby rocking the arm 40 and lowering the pawl 38, whereby the crank handle 35 is now free to complete its revolution and in the completion of its revolution the rod 32 is elevated and the lever 29 rocked on its pivot 30 which lifts therod 28 and the valve 25 connected thereto to permit the flow of the liquid through the outlet' pipes 8, 9 or 10. The upward movement of the lever 29 relieves the tension on the cable 45 whereby the pawl or dog 47 is permitted -to move into engagement with the rack 3 of the pump, thereby lockin'g the pump against further action.

The dog 47 may also be dispensed with without departing 'from my invention or reducing the efficiency of the device because after the customer has once turned the crank into the second full revolution, suilicientlyA the coin mechanism -will stop the crank at the end of the complete revolution. The

dog 47 is mainly to keep idlers from operating` the` pump.

-- Ahe seepage of the liquid from the lioat chamber 19 through the by-pass pipe 20 permits the float 21 to move downward thereby relieving the tensionA on the cable 22, whereupon lthe pawl24 is free-.to disengage itself from the rack bar 3 of the pump.

he function of the spring 27 of the valve 25 is 'as follows: The expansion of the spring 27 is such that it will'not exert a pull on the valve 25 until the spout or conduit 31 is removed from its position under the discharge 4 of the pump, sothat there is no danger ofsurplus of li uid being emptied into the discharge from t e measuring tanks. The operation of filling and emptying the measuring tanks may be repeated as often as the prescribed coin or token is depositedv in the lock 48.

, In the `drawings I have :shown the measuring tanks in groups of two and three, all having a common discharge pipe, but it will be understood that the 'number of measuring tanks is optional and that if found desirable each measuring tank may have an independent 80 discharge pipe.

Many other changesmay be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I prefer to have one pump for each group 'of measuring tanks and also to have a separate crank for each coin slot.

What I claim is 1. In a liquid dispen'siug device, the combination of a pluralityA o measuring tanks y40. ofdiierent capacity, a discharge common tosaid tanks, a pump common to all of said tanks, conduits from said ,pump to said tanks, normally out of the path of flow of liquid from the pump, and meansfto select and move one of said conduits into the path of the flow of the liquid from the pump and over a predetermined tank.

2. In a^liquid` dispensing device, the combination of a measuring tank, a supply tank, ahpxgnp connected with said su pl tank, a return pipe to said supply tank, t e upper end of which is directly in line with the outlet-6i the pump, a condutnormally out of line with the discharge outlet ofthe pump, mechanism to" move said conduit into line with the dschar .e outlet of the pump and direct the flow ofg the measuring tank,'and a lock controlling vthe movement of said conduit.

3. In a liquidl dispensingdevice, the combination of a measuri tank, a su ply tank, a pump connected wiltl said supp y tank, a returnl pipe to'said supply tank in line with the outletof said um a' conduit normally out of line with t e discharge outlet of the end of which is liquid from the pump into pump, means to move said conduit into line the pump discharge and direct the wlth flow of liquid from said pump into said tank, a lock controlling the movement of said conduit, and means locking the pump against furtherpumping -operation after a predetermine amount of liquid has been delivered in a single operation of the pump.

4. In a liquid dispensing device, the combination of a measuring tank, a supply tank, a pump connected with said supply tank, a return pipe to said supply tank, the upper open and -directly in line with the discharge of the pump, an overflow in said measuring tank 1n communication with said return pipe, a conduit normally outl 'ofline with the pump discharge, mechanism to move said conduit in line with the pump discharge and direct the liquid from the pump into said measuringl tank, and

means preventing unauthorized operation of said mechanism.

5. In a liquid dispensing device, the combination of a measuring tank, a supply tank, a pump connected With said supply tank, a

.return pipe to said' supply tank, the upper end of which is open and directly in line with the discharge of the pump, an overflow in said measuring tank in communication with said return pipe, means in said overflow pipe limiting the movement of the pump, a conduit normally out of line with the pump discharge, mechanism to move vsaid conduit in line with the pump discharge and direct the liquid from the pump into the measuring tank, and means preventing the unauthorized operation of said mechanism.

6. In a liquid dispensing device, the combination with a supply tank, a pump connected with said tank, a measurlng tank, an overflow pipe in said measuring tank connected with the sup ly tank, a conduit for delivering liquid gom-said pump to said measurin tank but normally in inoperative position for such purpose, an outlet delivery control or valve for said measuring tank, means for substantially simultaneously moving said control or valve to closed position and said conduit to opera' tive position, whereb liquid is directed to andmeasured in sai measuring tank, and

means preventing unauthorized operation of` p the device whereby only a predetermined amount of liquid can be dispensed in a single operation of the device.

7. n a liquid dispensing device, the combination with a supply tank, a pump connected with said tank,V a measuring tank, an adjustable overflow pipe in said measuring tank controlling the' amount of liquid to be dispensed from said tank and connectved with the su lply tank, a spout for delivering liquid rom said pump to the meas-v uring tank but normally 1n inoperative position for such purpose, an outlet delivery control or valve for said measuring tank, means for substantially simultaneously moving said control or valve to closed position and moving said spout to operative position, whereby liquid is directed to and measured in said measuring tank, and means preventing unauthorized operation of the device whereby only a predetermined amount of liquid can be dispensed in a single operation of the device.

8. In a device of the character described, the combination with a pump, a measuring memos tank, a movable spout to direct liquid from the pump to the measuring tank but normally out of position for. such purpose, means for moving the spout to operative position, a ratchet bar connected with said pump, a counterweighted pawl adapted' to normally engage said bar, and means operable when the spout is moved to operative position to disengage the pawl from said ratchet bar.

. In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

CHARLES o. MCoAsLAND. 

